The Premature Burial

The Premature Burial

Year: 1962

Runtime: 81 mins

Language: English

Director: Roger Corman

HorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsTerrifying haunted and supernatural horrorCreepy chilling and terrifying horrorChilling experiments and classic monster horror

Within the Coffin I Lie…ALIVE! An artist grows distant from his new wife as an irrational horror of premature burial consumes him.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Premature Burial yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – The Premature Burial (1962)

Trace every key event in The Premature Burial (1962) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Guy Carrell's fear of being buried alive

In the Victorian era, Guy Carrell is consumed with the fear that he might be buried while still alive. His terror threatens his engagement to Emily and colors every conversation about death. He insists his condition mirrors his father's fate.

Before the wedding Carrell family estate
2

Guy reveals his cataleptic disease to Emily

Guy explains his condition could mimic death, making it hard to distinguish life from the grave. Emily listens, while his sister Katie cautions that fear might be a projection of guilt. The risk of misinterpretation weighs on their future together.

Before the wedding Carrell mansion, parlor
3

Catacomb visit and boyhood memory

Guy takes Emily to the family catacomb and recounts hearing his father scream from inside his tomb. Katie counters that it was all in his mind, casting doubt on the narrative. The visit intensifies Guy's fixation on death.

Before the wedding Family catacomb
4

Wedding day and the wedding night mood

The wedding takes place and Emily plays Molly Malone on the piano, triggering a deep misery in Guy that leads him to faint. The haunting melody deepens his obsession with being buried alive. The mood shifts from joy to foreboding.

Wedding day Wedding venue
5

Vault construction and safeguards

Guy designs an elaborate burial vault with multiple safeguards and even a poisonous elixir as a last resort. Emily and Miles Archer grow concerned as his behavior becomes more morbid. The vault becomes a stark symbol of his fear.

After the wedding Home vault
6

Moor walk and the haunting whistle

During a walk on the moors, Guy hears the gravedigger's whistle—the same Irish tune from the wedding—and collapses. He experiences a nightmare of being trapped in the vault, unable to escape. He awakens beside Emily, who asserts she heard no one.

After the moor walk The moors
7

Emotional ultimatum

Emily delivers an ultimatum: either he renounces this death fixation or she will leave him. The ultimatum marks a turning point in their relationship and tests his resolve. He faces a critical choice between fear and his marriage.

After the ultimatum Home
8

Destruction of the vault and cautious optimism

In response, Guy destroys the vault he built and begins to show improvements. Miles suggests that confronting the fear could help, proposing a therapeutic step. The idea of opening his father's tomb emerges as a possible cure.

After ultimatum Home
9

Open father's tomb; cataleptic state

Miles persuades Guy to open his father's tomb to prove he was never buried alive. Opening the tomb triggers a new cataleptic episode and he cannot wake. An examination by Emily's father follows, and Guy is declared dead.

After tomb opening Father's tomb / mortuary
10

Burial and return from the grave

Guy is buried in the cemetery; but grave robbers dig him up just as he regains mobility. He returns home in a frenzy, intent on vengeance against those who conspired for his demise. The fear of being buried alive seems to renew with fury.

After burial Cemetery and home
11

Laboratory murder and love confessions

Guy murders Emily's father in the laboratory by electrocuting him. During the upheaval, Emily confesses to Miles that she loves him and that she made a mistake marrying Guy. The tension between love, betrayal, and fear escalates.

During confrontation Laboratory
12

Graveyard confrontation and fatal resolution

Guy forces Emily to the graveyard, places her in his burial plot, and covers her with dirt. Miles begs him to stop, and a fight ensues. Katie shoots Guy dead on the spot to end the catastrophe.

Climax Graveyard
13

Emily's fate and the revelation of her plot

Miles retrieves Emily from the grave, only to find that she has died. Katie reveals that Emily had the key to Guy's crypt and orchestrated his doom. The manipulations behind the fear are exposed at last.

After climactic events Graveyard
14

Final reveal and aftermath

Katie explains that Emily hired grave robbers to torment Guy, hid a cat in the walls, and desecrated his father's tomb to magnify his fears. The film closes with the final shot of a grave, underscoring the cost of obsession and manipulation.

Ending Graveyard

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 12:34

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The Premature Burial Summary

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The Premature Burial Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Premature Burial

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Premature Burial

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